Key-striker for piano-players.



No. 723,274. PATENTED MAR.'24, 1903.

O. F. HINTZ.

KEYSTRIKER FOR PIANO PLAYERS. APPLIOATION FILED IAB. a1, 1902 N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO F. HINTZ, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO FARRAND ORGAN COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

KEY-STRIKER FOR, PIANO-PLAYERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 723,274, dated March 24, 1903.

Application filed March 31, 1902. Serial No. 100,741. No model.)

To rtZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO F. HINTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Strikers for Piano- Players and Like Instruments, of which the following is a specification, referenceheing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

to The invention relates to the construction of hammers or key-strikers for mechanical playing attachments to musical instruments. As heretofore constructed the strikers or hammers for actuating the keys have consisted :5 in a felted rod or lever which is arranged to surface, which will automatically adjust it-- self to the incline of the key. As a consequence the bearing of the striker upon the key is limited to a comparatively small surface, and in the course of time the repeated operations of the strikers will produce a wear in the celluloid orivory surface of the key. Furthermore, in that type of mechanical players in which the strikers are in the form of pivotal levers a sliding or rubbing contact of the striker upon the key is produced at each actuation, this being caused by the change of angle of the striker-lever. This sliding 4o materiallyincreases the wear on the keys, so

that they soon become disfigured.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the objections above setforth by providing the strikers with movable contacting blocks or bearings for engaging the keys. These blocks are so constructed as to have a considerable bearing-surface upon the key instead of the sliding surface of the rounded striker, and, furthermore, are adapted to remain in fixed relation to the face of the key without any sliding or rubbing thereon.

The invention therefore resides in the peculiar construction of a striker provided with a movable key-bearing block, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the striker-lever to which the improvement is applied. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a striker of a different type. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the action of the to striker in relation to the key; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end of the striker-lever, showingits adj ustable key-bearing block.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, A is the strikerlever, which isfulcrumed at B and has one arm a thereof projecting above the key of the musical instrument. The opposite arm 1') extends inward from the fulcrum into proximity to the push-rod C, which is adapted to be operated by the key-actuating pneumatic. (Not shown.) At the outer end of the arm a is pivotally secured the key-bearing block D. This, as shown, comprises a block hav ing a longitudinal mortise therein,with which a gain 0 on the end of the arm Ct engages. The lower face of this block is covered by a pad of felt or other elastic material d, and the block is secured to the arm a by the pivotpin 8. The apertures f through which the pin passes are preferably bushed by leather or other soft material to prevent noise in turning.

With the construction as described and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the lower face of the pad 61 will bear throughout its entire extent upon the key. Thus when the striker is actuated the bearing-block will automatically turn upon its pivot, so as to permit its bearing-face to move laterally in relation thereto and to maintain its fixed relation to the key when the latter is depressed.

In Fig. 2 a modification is shown in which the striker is in the form of a vertically-movable rod F. G is a bearing-block pivotally secured to said rod by a pin H, the construction being substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1. With both co'nstructions in the operation of the striker the key will be depressed without rubbing contact between the pad 61 and the face of the key, with the result that very little wear is caused.

It is to be observed that the segments traversed by the adjacent ends of the striker and key are so small as to nearly coincide. The slight difference in direction due to the curvature of their respective paths would only cause a very slight lateral movement of the face of the bearing-block in relation to the face of the key, and this is fully compensated for by the elastic nature of the facing of the key. lhus in operation there will be absolutely no movement between the face of the pad and the key, so that no Wearing action on the latter will result.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a mechanical player for keyboard musical instruments, the combination with the key-striker, of a bearing portion for resting upon the key movable in relation to said striker laterally in the plane of movement of the key and free to maintain fixed position on the surface of the key during the actuation thereof whereby friction with said surface is prevented.

2. In a mechanical player for keyboard musical instruments, a key-striker provided with a laterally-yielding cushioned key-bearing surface free to maintain a fixed position on the surface of the key during the movement thereof.

3. In a mechanical player for keyboard musical instruments, the combination with a key-striker, of a block. pivoted thereto and a flat cushioned key-bearing surface resting upon the surface of said key and adapted to maintain a fixed position thereon during operation.

4. In a mechanical player for keyboard musical instruments, the combination with a keystriker, of a block pivotally secured to said striker and having a flat cushioned face for bearing upon the face of the key.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 40 in presence of two Witnesses.

O'ITO' F. IIINTZ.

Witnesses:

M. B. ODOGHERTY, H. 0. SMITH. 

